


Episode 1.26: Rise of the Green Goblin

by Starbooks13



Series: Spiders Have To Stick Together [26]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Genre: BAMF Natasha Romanov, Blending Universes, Canon Compliant, Doom's "Courting Mood", Gen, Negotiations, Protective Natasha Romanov, Season 3 will probably screw this all up, Spiders Have To Stick Together, Subtle Foreshadowing for USM Season 2, Women Being Awesome, for now, sort of not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-20
Updated: 2014-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-05 10:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1815052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starbooks13/pseuds/Starbooks13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the Avengers are out of the country when the Helicarrier goes down and Natasha gets to be the POV character.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Episode 1.26: Rise of the Green Goblin

**Author's Note:**

> So, Season 3 of Ultimate Spider-Man finally gave me what I wanted: Black Widow has now been on the show. I have not seen the episode yet, so I have no idea how greatly it will impact this series. Regardless, I intend to continue my drabbles as planned and do my best to fit Natasha's appearances on the show in with how I've written her so far--or just go completely AU if I can't, because I've had way too much fun writing these stories to stop. I only hope you all have had just as much fun reading them.
> 
> And so, as a thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this long, I give you the finale of Season 1 of Spiders Have To Stick Together--from Natasha's POV! :)

                Natasha Romanoff loved parties.  Especially when she got to crash them.

                Doom’s gala celebrating the opening of the new Latverian Embassy in Rome was in full swing by the time she arrived on the arm of her escort, a wealthy Italian business associate of Tony’s who had been invited and needed a date.  Tony would not actually be attending the party, but he, Thor, and Bruce were on standby in case things went really far south.  Clint and Steve were her actual backup, although they were going in without comms; Clint sticking to the shadows and using the blind spots they’d located in the embassy’s defenses, and Steve taking center stage as the personal guest of the American ambassador. 

                The debacle involved in actually getting Steve on the guest list had easily allowed Natasha herself to slip past Doom’s security measures, though she was half-sure he’d only let her slide out of curiosity.  He was far from the stupidest of their foes—in fact, Natasha would easily rank Doom among the Avengers’ most dangerous enemies for his brains alone.  She would have to be careful what exactly she revealed to Doom.  It was okay for him to think the Avengers were interested in Spider-Man’s well-being, because that was a truth that would change little.  It was not okay for him to realize that when the boy was involved, the Black Widow was severely compromised, for that would change a great deal. 

                She canvassed the ballroom as her date made small talk with the other guests.  The viable exits the team had noted were still available, although security was every bit as tight as they’d anticipated.  There were also no humans on the security team—every man was a Doombot in disguise, making stealing a weapon next to impossible.  She’d gone in weapons free, as had Steve, despite it going against their gut instincts; Doom’s security would have picked them up, and the goal was for the evening to not end in a firefight.  This was a diplomatic event, and Natasha was operating as an ambassador.  Not for SHIELD or America, but for the Avengers.  She just had to make sure Doom at least listened.

                The man in question was, surprisingly enough, mingling with his guests, flanked by two Doombots.  After having pointedly snubbed Steve and the American ambassador—no shock there—Doom’s steps carried him near where she was.  She pointedly positioned herself so Doom could see her, and sure enough, he made a beeline for Natasha and her date the moment he saw her.

                Her escort greeted him, and the pair carried on a brief exchange of pleasantries in Italian before Doom turned to her.  “And who might this lovely lady be?”

                “Natalie Rushman, sir,” she replied, also in Italian, but with a marked American accent.  She and Tony had felt it safer she used the alias, so his friend wouldn’t be complicit should things go down.  “It’s an honor to meet you.”

                “Is it now?”  She could practically hear the raised eyebrow in Doom’s voice.  “And how do you two know each other?”

                “A friend introduced us,” her escort said diplomatically.  Smart man—he knew Doom and Tony did not get along.  Not that Doom didn’t already know who she was.

                After a bit more awkward small talk—awkward in that Doom was obviously using it as a pretense to determine Natasha’s business here—Doom moved on.  Natasha spent the next two hours on high alert, waiting for Doom’s inevitable intervention.  She made sure to rendezvous with Steve at least once during that time to exchange information, and she also made sure Doom’s security noticed them together.  For once, she wanted Doom to feel the Avengers’ presence—it would make him more likely to engage her.

                Sure enough, after those two hours a member of security presented Natasha with a note from the good doctor requesting her presence.  She nodded and followed the Doombot out of the ballroom and up a staircase to what looked like a study.  Doom was waiting for her there, seated in a high-backed chair near a grand fireplace.  “I think this is perhaps some of the most unsubtle espionage I have seen from you, Agent Romanoff,” he said, gesturing to the matching chair across from his.  “Consider my curiosity piqued.”

                “That was the idea,” she replied, taking the offered seat. 

                He gestured to one of the Doombots to bring over a drink tray from his desk.  “I noticed you haven’t touched the champagne that’s being served downstairs.  Would you care for something stronger?  Vodka, perhaps?”

                She waved away the tray. “I’m here for business, not pleasure, Victor.  The Avengers have a matter we want set before you.”

                “If SHIELD or the Avengers want something from me, my demands have never been secret.  Remove me from your blasted Most Wanted list and have the UN remove its sanctions from my country.  Then we’ll talk.”

                “It’s nothing major.  Really, it’s very trivial.  And since it only tangentially involves SHIELD, I’m afraid I couldn’t meet your demands even if I wanted to.”

                “I find it hard to believe you would get yourself and Captain America invited to one of my galas for something trivial.”

                “It just concerns a certain vow of revenge you made against the captain the last time you two encountered each other.”

                “You mean when Spider-Man kindly dropped that lovely shield into my lap and got me barred from U.S. soil?  I will admit, I was rather…displeased at the time.  I’d worked hard on that invasion plan, and, well, I’m not ashamed to admit my desire for that lovely vibranium alloy.”  He studied her for a moment.  “My dear Agent Romanoff, are you taking my threat seriously?  Is it a new policy of yours?  For I must admit, your team has seemed fairly…uncaring of my threats in the past.”  Natasha said nothing, and sure enough, Doom’s eyes widened behind his mask a moment later.  “Ah, it’s because of the boy, isn’t it?”

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  By which she meant, “Of course it’s about the boy, but that’s all you need to know.”

                Doom leaned forward.  “Intriguing.  This is the second time you’ve intervened in my affairs regarding Spider-Man.  Though now you have your team at your back instead of that Trickster.”

                “My team didn’t know Spider-Man then.  Now they do.”  That was true enough.  But she would have to tread carefully from here on out.  Doom could not know the truth.

                “And they would intervene on his behalf to insure I do not pursue vengeance.  Curious, since he has little importance to me.”

                “This says otherwise.”  Natasha pulled her phone from her purse and showed Doom footage of the Doombots the SHIELD security around the Parker house had successfully destroyed.  Fortunately, neither Peter nor his aunt had been in that night.  “I’m fairly certain that if the American ambassador saw this, it could lead to further sanctions against Latveria, from more than just the UN.”

                Doom leaned back.  “Ah, that.  A mistake made upon a whim.  I even sent outdated models.”  He caught her gaze and held it steadily.  “Whatever value he is to the Avengers, he means little to me.  He’s not worth expending any effort on my part.  Not when I have far more important matters to concern myself with.”

                Natasha put her phone away and rose.  That had gone better than she’d expected.  “Glad to see we understand each other, Victor.”

                “I must confess I do not see the potential you obviously see in him, my dear.”

                She snorted.  “You don’t see potential in very many people to begin with.”

                “True.”  Natasha moved to leave, but Doom rose from his seat and stood in her way.  “I would be even more inclined to continue ignoring any such…potential if you would favor me with a dance downstairs.”

                Natasha allowed herself a smirk.  “It would be my pleasure, Doctor.”

                The boys were highly entertained by the international tabloids’ speculation as to who the mysterious redhead was that had shared a dance with Doctor Doom and lived to tell the tale.  For her part, Natasha wished all her dealings with supervillains went so smoothly.  Then again, unlike Loki, Victor really hadn’t seen Peter as a threat, which was good.

                It would make the day that Spider-Man showed the world what he was capable of all the sweeter in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this had very little to do with the actual episode aside from explaining where the Avengers were, but I promise the first episode of Season 2 will in some way deal with Natasha's reaction to what has happened with Peter in her absence.


End file.
